{{Support vote}} Harkin voted for the 2013 [[United States Senate|Senate]] Budget Proposal.<ref name="votes"/> On March 23, after an all-night debate that ended just before 5 a.m., by a 50 to 49 vote the Democratically controlled Senate approved its first budget in four years. No Republicans voted for the Senate plan, and four Democrats opposed it. All four are from red states and are up for re-election in 2014.[8] Harkin was one of the four Democrats who voted against the budget proposal.<ref name="votes"/>

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{{Support vote}} Harkin voted for the 2013 [[United States Senate|Senate]] Budget Proposal.<ref name="votes"/> On March 23, after an all-night debate that ended just before 5 a.m., by a 50 to 49 vote the Democratically controlled Senate approved its first budget in four years. No Republicans voted for the Senate plan, and four Democrats opposed it. All four are from red states and are up for re-election in 2014. Harkin was one of the four Democrats who voted against the budget proposal.<ref name="votes"/>

The approved plan is a $3.7 trillion budget for 2014 and would provide a fast track for passage of tax increases, trim spending modestly and leave the government still deeply in the red for the next decade.

The approved plan is a $3.7 trillion budget for 2014 and would provide a fast track for passage of tax increases, trim spending modestly and leave the government still deeply in the red for the next decade.

Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin (b. November 19, 1939, in Cumming, Iowa) is a Democratic member of the U.S. Senate from the state of Iowa. Harkin was first elected to the Senate in 1984.[1]

On January 26, 2013, Harkin announced that he would not seek re-election once his current term expires. Upon his retirement, he will have served in the U.S. Senate for 30 years. Prior to this, he served in the U.S. House for ten years. He told USA Today, "I have mixed feelings. You know what, it's somebody else's turn. To walk away from this position and this power is not an easy thing. But I think it's the right thing."[2]

Career

Harkin had a legal practice in Des Moines, served in United States Navy and Naval reserves, worked an attorney for Polk County, Iowa, Legal Aid Society in 1973 and was a member on the board of directors for the Iowa Consumers League.[3]

Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Chairman

Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA

Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development

Subcommittee on Defense

Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations

Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, HUD, and Related Agencies

Issues

Legislative actions

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 114 out of the 3,036 introduced bills (3.8 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[6] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Harkin's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[7]

National security

American response in Syria

The United States should not take military action in Syria without “broad international support” and stronger evidence that chemical weapons have been used on Syria’s civilian population, Harkin said in a statement released after a September 1, 2013, briefing of congressional leaders. Harkin cautioned that U.S. military intervention would not solve the Syrian crisis alone.[8]

“I have just attended a classified Congressional briefing on Syria that quite frankly raised more questions than it answered. I found the evidence presented by Administration officials to be circumstantial. The atrocious use of chemical weapons against civilian is an affront to human values and a violation of international law. It should be condemned by the international community as a whole. The coming debate in Congress will hopefully shine the light on outstanding questions. As will the results of the U.N. inspection team. We must wait for these results before any action is taken. What I hear from Iowans is that the Middle East has a complex history and the conflicts there will not be solved by U.S. military action alone. We should not rush into what may become a new open-ended war without broad international backing or a full understanding of the ramifications.”[8]

John Brennan CIA nomination

Harkin voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.[9]

Economy

No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013

Harkin voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspended the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[9]

2013 Senate Budget Proposal

Harkin voted for the 2013 Senate Budget Proposal.[9] On March 23, after an all-night debate that ended just before 5 a.m., by a 50 to 49 vote the Democratically controlled Senate approved its first budget in four years. No Republicans voted for the Senate plan, and four Democrats opposed it. All four are from red states and are up for re-election in 2014. Harkin was one of the four Democrats who voted against the budget proposal.[9]

The approved plan is a $3.7 trillion budget for 2014 and would provide a fast track for passage of tax increases, trim spending modestly and leave the government still deeply in the red for the next decade.

The approval of a budget in the Senate began the process of setting up contentious, and potentially fruitless, negotiations with the Republican-controlled House starting in April to reconcile two vastly different plans for dealing with the nation’s economic and budgetary problems.

The House plan would have brought the government’s taxes and spending into balance by 2023 with cuts to domestic spending even below the levels of automatic across-the-board cuts for federal programs now, and it orders up dramatic and controversial changes to Medicare and the tax code.

The Senate plan differed greatly, and included $100 billion in upfront infrastructure spending to bolster the economy and calls for special fast-track rules to overhaul the tax code and raise $975 billion over 10 years in legislation that could not be filibustered. Even with that tax increase and prescribed spending cuts, the plan approved by the Senate would leave the government with a $566 billion annual deficit in 10 years, and $5.2 trillion in additional debt over that window.

Immigration

Completion of fence along Mexico border

Harkin did not vote on Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[9]

Social Issues

Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013

Harkin voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.[9]

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Harkin voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of three Democrats that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[10]

State of American politics

On the floor of the Senate on September 27, 2013, Harkin gave a speech describing how American politics have reached the level at which "a small group of willful men and women who have a certain ideology." Hark's comment came after the 21 hour long speech by Ted Cruz in the Senate on September 24-25, 2013.[11]

"Since they can't get their way," Harkin said, "they're going to create this confusion and discourse and hope that the public will be so mixed up in who is to blame for this, that they'll blame both sides."[11]

"It's dangerous. It's very dangerous. I believe, Mr. President, we are at one of the most dangerous points in our history right now. Every bit as dangerous as the break-up of the Union before the Civil War," Harkin added.[11]

Harkin's decision to retire after five terms in the Senate provides a great opportunity for Republicans.[13] Rep. Bruce Braley (D) is reportedly the likeliest Democratic nominee.[13] On the Republican side, early polling indicates that conservative Rep. Steve King leads the early primary field, but Rep. Tom Latham does better in general election matchups. While there are other Republican possibilities, it seems likely that one of these two would be the front-runner for the nomination.[13]

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Tom Harkin, click [show] to expand the section.

2008

On November 4, 2008, Tom Harkin won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Christopher Reed (R) in the general election.[14]

U.S. Senate, Iowa General Election, 2008

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Tom Harkinincumbent

62.7%

941,665

Republican

Christopher Reed

37.3%

560,006

Total Votes

1,501,671

2002

On November 5, 2002, Tom Harkin won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Greg Ganske (R), Richard J. Moore (L), Timothy A. Harthan (Iowa Green Party) in the general election.[15]

U.S. Senate, Iowa General Election, 2002

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Tom Harkinincumbent

54.2%

554,278

Republican

Greg Ganske

43.8%

447,892

Libertarian

Richard J. Moore

0.9%

8,864

Green

Timothy A. Harthan

1.1%

11,340

N/A

Write-in

0.1%

701

Total Votes

1,023,075

1996

On November 5, 1996, Tom Harkin won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Jim Lightfoot (R), Fred Gratzon (Natural Law), Sue Atkinston (Nomination by Petition), Joe Sulentic (Nomination by Petition) and Shirley E. Pena (Socialist Workers) in the general election.[16]

U.S. Senate, Iowa General Election, 1996

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Tom Harkinincumbent

51.8%

634,166

Republican

Jim Lightfoot

46.7%

571,807

Natural Law

Fred Gratzon

0.3%

4,248

Nomination by Petition

Sue Atkinson

0.8%

9,768

Nomination by Petition

Joe Sulentic

0.2%

1,941

Socialist Workers

Shirley E. Pena

0.2%

1,844

N/A

Write-in

0%

280

Total Votes

1,224,054

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Harkin is available dating back to 2002. Based on available campaign finance records, Harkin raised a total of $17,864,005 during that time period. This information was last updated on April 3, 2013.[17]

Annual Steak-Fry Fundraiser

Harkin held his annual steak-fry fundraiser in September 2013.[18] Those in attendance included Vice president Joe Biden, San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, Rep.Joaquín Castro and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.[18]

Lifetime voting record

According to the website GovTrack, Harkin missed 373 of 9,536 roll call votes from Jan 1985 to Mar 2013. This amounts to 3.9%, which is worse than the median of 1.7% among currently serving senators as of March 2013.[21]

Congressional staff salaries

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Harkin paid his congressional staff a total of $2,814,112 in 2011. He ranks 18th on the list of the highest paid Democratic senatorial staff salaries and ranks 21st overall of the highest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Iowa ranks 26th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[22]

Net worth

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Harkin's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $10,006,120 and $22,018,001. That averages to $16,012,060, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic senators in 2011 of $20,795,450. His average net worth decreased by 3.52% from 2010.[23]

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Harkin's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $10,276,123 and $22,918,001. That averages to $16,597,062, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic senators in 2010 of $19,383,524.[24]

National Journal vote ratings

2012

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Harkin ranked 15th in the liberal rankings in 2012.[25]

2011

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Harkin ranked 5th in the liberal rankings among U.S. senators.[26]

Voting with party

2013

Tom Harkin voted with the Democratic Party 96.1% of the time, which ranked 18th among the 52 Senate Democratic members as of June 2013.[27]

Personal

Harkin has been married to his wife Ruth (nee Raduenz) since 1968. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.[28]

Recent news

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